Razer’s New Blade Laptops

12May

Last year, Razer unveiled the Razer Blade and Blade Pro gaming laptops, which combined high-end NVIDIA graphics in an unbelievably sexy and slim frame. The stunning laptops not only redefined how gaming laptops should look like, they were above all else marvellous engineering feats. Now, Razer has again defied conventional wisdom with the refreshed 2014 edition of the Razer Blade, with a stunning high-resolution touch display and NVIDIA’s latest GeForce 800M GPUs. Razer’s 2014 Blade gaming laptops will again be available in two sizes: 14 inches and 17 inches (called the Razer Blade Pro). Here’s the interesting detail: the Razer Blade is more powerful than the Blade Pro. Equipped with the new NVIDIA GeForce GTX870M and an Intel Core i7-4702HQ 2.2GHz quad-core processor, the Blade 14 trumps the new Blade Pro in the two most important components; the Blade Pro is “only” powered by an Intel Core i7-4700HQ 2.4GHz quad-core processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX860M GPU. On top of that, the new Razer Blade 14 will also pack a stunning 3200 x 1800 IZGO IPS touch display, which Razer claims to be “the most visually stunning notebook display in the world”. The Razer Blade Pro will ship with the same 17.3-inch matte non-touch 1080p display. According to Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan, the decision not to upgrade the Blade Pro’s display was to maintain the laptop’s battery life, and is “the ideal balance for work and play for creative professionals”. As for the Blade’s other specs, there’s 8GB of 1600MHz RAM, SSD storage options between 128GB and 512GB, three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 1.4, stereo speakers, 2MP HD webcam, and of course, an anti-ghosting backlit keyboard. The Windows 8.1-running laptop weighs 2.03kg, and is slightly thicker than last year’s model at 17.9mm, but a 1.1mm tradeoff for the amazing hardware underneath is more than acceptable. The Razer Blade Pro, on the other hand, sports 16GB of 16o0MHz RAM, SSD storage options between 128GB and 512GB, three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 1.4, stereo speakers, 2MP HD webcam, an anti-ghosting backlit keyboard, and the unique Razer Switchblade UI. It’ll be pre-installed with Windows 8.1 and weighs 2.97kg and measure 22.4mm thick. Razer’s Blade Pro is now available in the US with a starting price of $2299.99 for the 128GB model, while the Blade 14 is now available for pre-order and will ship in two weeks. The Blade 14′s retail price starts from $2199.99 for the 128GB model. Unfortunately, they’re both only available in North America for now. For more information and drool-worthy pics of the new Razer Blade laptops, head on to http://www.razerzone.com.